For Halloween this year I will be participating in a really cool event put on by the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild. Called
Spirits and Shadows. In their own words, "Join the mad scientists, Victorians, Steampunk time travelers, grave
diggers, ghosts, ghouls, and vampires as we wander through the park
where the veil between this life and the next is stretched thin for an
adult only evening of dance and fun at History Park at Kelly Park in San
Jose" Check out the website for details.
I'm going to be working the event, and I've decided to do an Edwardian fancy dress version of a Gypsy. Specifically this costume is usually representing Esmeralda, the Gypsy girl from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Decidedly NOT the Disney version. Esmeralda just happens to be the nickname of of my alter ego, but it'll take more than a few drinks to get those stories out of me.
Here's the Inspiration. All photos from
The Metropolitan Museum Online. This costume is actually circa 1880, but since it's a Fancy dress costume I don't really need to stick to any one time period. Essentially people would be pulling old clothes from their grandparents attics and redoing them, so I can play a little fast and loose (speaking of Esmeralda) with this.
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| I'm not sure I'll use the black lace. I'll have to see how much time I have. |
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| I LOVE this bolero. I'm not entirely sure what is happening with the bodice. It's shown as open on the mannequin. I like the way it looks, so I'll have to figure out what to wear underneath |
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| I can probably use the same pattern I used for the bodice of my plaid gown. Truly Victorian 416, The Ballgown Basque |
I got some great scores on Silk on Ebay. I'm using dupioni because it is cheaper, and also because it's a Gyspy costume, so the slubbiness of silk will add to that exotic flavor.
For the Bolero, I'm using Truly Victorian Pattern 444 Spanish Jackets.
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| I'll be using the one in the foreground |
And the fabric I bought from Ebay is this red dupioni.
For the skirt, I'm using Truly Victorian 280 Can-Can Skirt.
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| The ruffles will make it's own petticoat and I can use it in the future for a Can-Can skirt |
I scored 8 yards of this mustard yellow dupioni for about $40 on eBay. The skirt takes seven!
I have my work cut out for me and about three weeks to do it in, so I'm going to bite the bullet and use my sewing machine. In fact I better order a ruffle foot for that can-can skirt. Let's try new things on a deadline! Yay! What else is new.
